Justin Trudeau

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify something for the member opposite. Our country has dealt with irregular arrivals every year for many years, even under the Conservative government. It is even more difficult to understand why they cut nearly $400 million from the Canada Border Services Agency budget and why they cut health care services for refugees, from vulnerable people. They caused slowdowns in our immigration system that we are now trying to fix. We are enforcing the act, our—

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservatives are fearmongering and dividing Canadians.

We do indeed need immigration in Canada. We have labour shortages. We welcome people from around the world because we know that this leads to economic growth and better quality of life for all Canadians.

At the same time, we are enforcing the immigration system strictly and with integrity. We have a process that applies to everyone, whether people arrive through the regular channels or in an irregular manner. We can assure Canadians that our system continues to be enforced in accordance with the rules.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, despite all the fearmongering by Conservatives, I can reassure Canadians categorically that our immigration system continues to be applied rigorously and to the full extent of all the rules and principles that Canadians expect and indeed are reassured by.

Yes, there is an increased flow of irregular migrants, but we are capable of dealing with them. We are capable of processing their files, and that is despite the backlogs left to us by 10 years of mismanagement of our system by the Conservatives.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives' approach is to muddy the waters and play up divisions and fear. We have made it very clear that we are an open and welcoming country, but we are also a country of rules and laws. Anyone who arrives in this country, whether it be through regular or irregular migration, gets the full process of Canada's immigration system applied to them, from security checks to analysis of their files. We are signatories to international conventions that make us welcome refugees, but we do need to ensure they are actual refugees or they get sent home.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to a compassionate asylum system, all the while ensuring that only those who should be in Canada are allowed to stay. In contrast, the Harper Conservatives cut $390 million from the CBSA and cut refugee health care. They created massive backlogs and processing delays which we are still working to fix. We have invested $173 million, which includes $74 million to ensure faster processing of claims. While Conservatives continue to vote against funding for our security agencies, we will make sure they have the resources they need.

[International Trade, May 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that the Liberal Party created our supply management system, and we will continue to defend it.

We were able to sign agreements with countries around the world while protecting a system that works very well for our farmers, our consumers, and our country. We will continue to defend that system. We know it is important for our products to have access to new markets. This is an important era of global trade for Canada. We will always protect our supply management system.

[Government Spending, May 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, decisions to attend conferences are made by the public service. We support its right to send people to conferences that are good for their development and professional improvement.

[The Environment, May 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill for her service as a veteran of our armed forces.

We are taking action to combat climate change across the government. The Minister of National Defence recently took part in a building dedication ceremony for the newly constructed Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineering School at CFB Borden. This facility was designed to meet the LEED silver certification standard, and has incorporated green building concepts to minimize its footprint. It will provide our forces with state-of-the-art facilities.

We believe in green infrastructure and clean technology, including in our new defence policy.

[Dairy Industry, May 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, through our dairy farm investment program, our government has given more than $66 million to Canada's dairy farmers, including $26 million to dairy farmers in Quebec. Through the dairy processing investment fund, we have given nearly $24 million to dairy processors, including $10 million in Quebec.

Our government will continue to invest in, protect, and defend our dairy producers and supply management across Canada.

[Rail Transportation, May 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the importance of the rail line to the people of Churchill and the surrounding area. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the people impacted by the loss of rail service.

We will continue to work closely with the Town of Churchill, the Province of Manitoba, and others in support of the immediate and long-term interests of the region. No negotiations with any parties will be conducted in public.

However, if the member opposite really wants to help, she can call on her friend Merv Tweed, former Conservative MP at OmniTRAX, and tell him to make the right deal for Canadians and for Churchill.